LGBTQ group relaunches as nonprofit after county community college ban

This story was first published by LOOKOUT, an investigative nonprofit news organization covering Arizona’s LGBTQ+ communities.

Equality Maricopa, a longtime advocacy group for LGBTQIA+ students, has relaunched as an independent nonprofit and secured 501(c)(3) status after being disbanded earlier this year by the Maricopa County Community College District.

The move allows Equality Maricopa to expand its reach beyond community colleges and serve LGBTQIA+ students at colleges and universities across Arizona. Leaders say the nonprofit will boost scholarships, strengthen fundraising and broaden advocacy efforts to create safer, more inclusive learning environments.

“This transition is more than a relaunch. This is a reaffirmation of our commitment to LGBTQIA+ students,” said Jay Franzen, president of Equality Maricopa. “We are returning stronger, more focused, and better positioned to ensure every student feels safe, welcomed, and empowered to complete their education.”

Founded more than five years ago, the group has provided scholarships, programming and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ students, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to reduce barriers to graduation. Its work was interrupted on Feb. 21, when MCCCD — the nation’s largest community college system — announced it was dissolving Equality Maricopa and other affinity groups to comply with guidance from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

At the time, Chancellor Steven Gonzalez said the district would no longer support staff- or faculty-led groups connected to race, gender or national origin, and that all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) affinity groups would be disbanded. The guidance also directed the removal of race, gender and sexuality-related language from MCCCD websites and restricted the use of gender identity-related signage, such as pronouns in email signatures.

The changes froze Equality Maricopa’s Prism Scholarships, which supported 10 students this year, and barred the group from using district funds to appear at community events such as Phoenix Pride.

Despite the setback, Equality Maricopa’s board said the nonprofit structure puts the organization on stronger footing to continue its mission. The group plans to reintroduce scholarships, expand partnerships and host community events statewide.

The organization will appear at Phoenix Pride in October as part of its relaunch. More information is available at equalitymaricopa.org.